A Dark Place
by Delay88
Summary: Valar-morekinks prompt (Round 15): Sansa/Tyrek Lannister. She has finally found her lionheart (Warning: Stalking, obsession)
1. Chapter 1

It seemed the smell of smoke and ash in the air would never go away. First, Flea Bottom had burned the day the mob had attacked them, and now, Stannis was burning the woods south of the Blackwater Rush while the Imp had set the waterfront ablaze.

From her bedchamber, Sansa could see the fires burning in the distance. During the day, the smoke blackened the sky while at night, the flames colored the horizon a bright orange. The only time she left her chambers was to go to the Godswood, so for most of her day, she sat by the window, watching the world around her burn and fall apart.

Someone had told her that Lord Stannis commanded many times the men Joffrey had. Nine out of ten days, the thought made her tummy twist with fear. But sometimes, she could not help but wonder if her life would truly be so much worse if Stannis took the city. He would take her hostage, no doubt, but she already _was_ a hostage. Perhaps he would even exchange her, return her to her mother and her brother.

 _Joffrey though_... Joffrey would lose his head. They would drag him out onto the steps in front of the Sept of Baelor or perhaps they would build a scaffold just for him. They would force him to kneel, and then they would lop off his head, just like Ser Ilyn had taken her father's head. Joffrey would squeal and beg for mercy, of that she was sure.

And the Queen... what would Lord Stannis do with the Queen? Would he take her head as well? _Brotherfucker, brotherfucker, brotherfucker!_ She could still hear the mob screaming. A rare smile crept across Sansa's face. _Yes, Stannis would kill her too._

A knock on the door jarred her from her thoughts. She turned around.

"Lady Sansa."

"Ser Jacelyn." She forced herself to smile. _Courtesy is a lady's armor_. "What a pleasant surprise." In truth, she was neither pleased nor surprised by his visit. Not a day passed that the Commander of the City Watch did not find a pretext to see her. At first, he'd inquired about her well-being after the attack. Later, he would bring her messages from the Queen, only the words he said did not sound like the Queen at all, and even Sansa knew Ser Jacelyn was the Imp's man.

"I wanted to check on you, see if you are well, my lady," he said, shifting from one leg to the other, an anxious smile on his square face.

 _An honest face_ , Sansa thought. _And an honorable man_. Only why wouldn't he leave her alone? "I am, thank you, Ser," she heard herself say. The silence that followed was deafening. Should she ask him if there was any news of Tyrek? But Sansa had already asked him thrice, and each time, he had only shaken his head.

 _Tyrek_. Just thinking his name made her face flush and her ears burn. But Tyrek was gone now, lost during the riot. _Killed by the mob and thrown into the river, most like._ Somehow, she couldn't stop thinking about it. _Did they hurt you before they killed you? Did you cry or did you face them bravely like a lion?_

Ser Jacelyn took a step towards her. "My lady, if it please you, I have a gift for you. To... to make you feel better after all you've been through. If you would come with me." He reached out with his iron hand.

"I... I feel better already..." Sansa instinctively took a step back. "No need to trouble yourself, Ser."

"It's no trouble at all. Come! I'll show you." He took another step towards her.

"I... I am betrothed to the king!" Sansa's voice was shrill, betraying the fear she'd tried so hard to hide. Her eyes dotted around her chamber. He was blocking her path, but perhaps if she was quick enough, she could dash past him, make for the door and call for help before he would catch her. But with the preparations for war, the Imp had reassigned her guards. _They think I won't run; they think I have nowhere to go_. The Lannisters' misjudgment had allowed her to sneak out into the Godswood. _For all the good that's done me_. It meant she was on her own now.

Ser Jacelyn stepped back, raising his hands defensively. "My lady, I did not mean- It is a gift, no more, I promise. I- Lord Varys bid me-" He ran his good hand through his salt and pepper hair, unsure where to look.

 _He is an honorable man_ , she told herself. _He will not harm me_. "My apologies, Ser Jacelyn," she responded politely. "I did not mean to question your honor. I- lead the way, Ser!"

Sansa knew she ought not go with him, but she did not know how to refuse without insulting him, so she followed him out the door and into the corridor. She had never noticed the narrow spiral staircase at the end of the passageway, winding its way down into the darkness.

Ser Jacelyn took a torch from the wall. "Follow me, Lady Sansa!"

Deeper and deeper they went, until the flickering torch in Ser Jacelyn's hand was the only source of light. The air grew cooler as they descended, making Sansa shudder. At long last, they arrived at the bottom of the staircase. Ser Jacelyn took her hand as he led her into a narrow tunnel. _Please don't touch me!_ She wanted to tell him, but no sound would come out of her mouth. With each turn they took, Sansa's heart sank. Even if she were to turn around and run, she would no longer find her way back in the darkness.

Finally, they stopped in a small room. "Here we wait," Ser Jacelyn said. He suddenly noticed he was still holding her hand and let go of it awkwardly, taking a step back. "Beg pardon, my lady!"

She knew the shape of the person who stepped from the shadow even though she did not recognize him at first, not until he removed the hood over his head.


	2. Chapter 2

The man's pale face under his steel cap was covered in dark stubble. He wore mail and a half cape instead of his usual fine silks, and he reeked of sweat and wine instead of lilacs, but it was _him_.

"Lord Varys!"

"Lady Sansa." The eunuch's unctuous voice was unmistakably his. It made her skin crawl. "I'm pleased you could make it. Please pardon the circumstances. I wish we could have met elsewhere, but there are too many prying eyes above ground." He gave the Commander of the City Watch a discrete nod. "Ser Jacelyn."

The old knight made a half-bow. "My lady, I'll wait for you by the stairs. You have my word, no harm will come to you."

Suddenly, all Sansa wanted was for him to remain. "Please, won't you stay with us, Ser?"

But he shook his head. "You are safe, I promise. I'll wait for you by the stairs." He turned around. The last thing she saw of him was his long gold cloak disappearing into the darkness.

She couldn't say where she found the courage to look the Spider in the eye. "What is it you want, Lord Varys?" Only once the words were out did she realize how unkind they must have sounded.

But the eunuch did not seem to care. "What I want? Only to sit the rightful king on the Iron Throne and to see the realm in peace, my lady."

 _More kings_ , Sansa thought, suddenly feeling tired. _There's always one more king somewhere_. "Joffrey is the only rightful King." The sentence had passed her lips so many times, it came almost naturally. "Anyone who claims otherwise is a traitor like my father."

Varys shook his head. "The rightful king was passed over a long time ago for nothing more than his name and the sins of his father, Lady Sansa. It falls on me to seat his heir on the throne and finally restore the realm to balance. We will need the North if we are to succeed, and _you_ are the key to the North."

She was so tired of people wanting to use her to gain control of the North. What good am I to them? Why can't they just leave me be? Robb is King in the North.

"Come with me, Lady Sansa," Varys held out his hand. "I have an offer I want to make you. A gift. A token of my good will. But first, I must ask you to close your eyes. There are things down here you would not want to see."

Reluctantly, she closed her eyes. Varys's hand was clammy. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, making her stumble as the eunuch guided her through the maze of tunnels. She couldn't say how many times they turned and changed directions. _He could just abandon me here. Nobody would ever find me._

At last, Varys squeezed her hand. "Open your eyes." They were on a long corridor, doors to both sides. He handed her the torch. "After you," he whispered before pushing her into a cell.

It was only once she was inside that she realized he did not follow her. For a moment, Sansa was paralyzed with fear. She half expected the door to lock behind her, to be grabbed, gagged and dragged away, but nothing happened.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could make out more and more details. There was a table in the middle of the room – _no, a rack_. Hung in a neat row on the wall were countless instruments intended to inflict pain, one more terrifying than the next. But they were old and rusty. Nobody had used them in a long time.

At first, she did not recognize the figure huddled in the corner, but then, her heart started beating fast in her chest. _Tyrek, Tyrek my love, my sweet, handsome lion, you're alive!_ He was barely able to sit, chained to the wall, his wrists and ankles shackled in front of him, his thick golden curls matted to his head. He looked tired, starved, _frightened_.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. In the Red Keep, she had only ever seen him from a distance. She knew his routine, watched him as he saddled the horses, fooled around with the other squires, bantered with the maidservants... _He always seemed so carefree._

"Tyrek!" She rushed to his side and bent down to remove his gag, her hand lingering on his jaw a little longer than necessary.

At first, he did not seem to know who she was, but then recognition flashed in his eyes. "Lady Sansa. Run and get help before they are back." His voice was hoarse, barely audible. "Help me get out of here."

Sansa caressed his cheek. "Shh! All will be well, my love! I'm with you now." It felt good to touch his soft skin, to comfort him, to wipe away his tears.

But Tyrek could not be calmed. "Hurry, please! They'll be back soon. If they find you here-" His face became a mask of fear as Varys stepped into the room.

Sansa glared at him. "What did you _do_ to him? What did you do to my Tyrek?"

"We questioned him about Robert's death." The eunuch said with a shrug. "And a few other matters. This does not give me any pleasure, if that's what you're asking. But there were things we had to know, things we do know now. It is up to you to decide what will happen to him. He is yours to keep or to return to the castle. It makes no difference to me."

 _He's trying to trick me_ , Sansa knew. _If I were to return Tyrek, he would have to flee the city or be killed by the Lannisters._ The thought sent a shiver down her spine. _He's toying with me. He'll kill us both or keep us down here forever._ She did not know which was worse.

"Why?" She asked the Spider. "Why show him to me? If I were to tell anyone it was you who took-"

"Oh, gods, you're with _him_. I should have known!"

Sansa twirled around. _No, no, I'm not!_ "I'm not with him! Please! I'm not with him!"

Despair mixed with hatred in Tyrek's eyes. "Everybody is with him down here. I should have known, I should have known."

Sansa wanted to reach out to him, reassure him, but Varys took her hand. "Why, you ask? Why do I trust you with this secret? Because I know you, Sansa. I have my little birds, but I also have eyes."

"You're with him..." Tyrek kept mumbling. "Everybody is with him..."

"I'm _not_!" Sansa said firmly. She took his hand, caressing his palm and tracing the delicate bones on the back of his hand before squeezing it. _I'm not, I'm not._

"You're with him..."

 _I'm not, I'm not, I'm_ not _with Varys!_ The crunching sound startled her, jarring her from her thoughts.

Tyrek was howling in pain, staring at his hand. "Why did you do that? Isn't it enough to keep me here? Why? Why?! You're mad!" His pouty lips twisted in pain and anger.

Sansa's heart started pounding. _He's Joffrey's kin. Even if Varys lets me leave, the king will have my head for harming his blood_. "I didn't mean it, it was an accident!" She heard herself say. "I'll take you back! I will, I promise! Please, you have to believe me!"

But Tyrek did not even seem to hear her. "You're mad! You're all mad! They'll find me, they will, they'll find me! You'll be sorry you did this! My uncle will have you killed for this!"

"It was an accident!" Sansa repeated, even though she knew he would never believe her. _Was it an accident? Was it?_ Panic washed over her. She turned to Varys. "Take me out of here. Please."

"What of Tyrek?"

She gazed at the chained squire. His eyes were full of hatred. Hatred for _her_. _Varys won't let him live_ , she thought. _I could pretend he is Joffrey_. But she loved him too much. "Just... just give him a room with a proper bed... somewhere clean... I... I'll decide later."

The eunuch smiled. "As you wish, my lady."


End file.
